Review: The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak #NewRelease #BlogTour

THE BOOKSTORE ON THE BEACH
Brenda Novak
Publication date: April 6, 2021
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Format: eARC
Source: HarperCollins/Harlequin
4 Stars
 

How do you start a new chapter when you haven’t closed the book on the last one?


Eighteen months ago, Autumn Divac’s husband went missing. Her desperate search has yielded no answers—she still has no idea where he went or why. After being happily married for twenty years, she can’t imagine moving forward without him, but for the sake of their two teenage children, she has to try.


Autumn takes her kids home for the summer to the charming beachside town where she was raised. She seeks comfort by working alongside her mother and aunt at their quaint bookshop, only to learn that her daughter is facing a life change neither of them saw coming and her mother has been hiding a terrible secret for years. And when she runs into Quinn Vanderbilt—the boy who stole her heart in high school—old feelings start to bubble up again. Is she free to love him, or should she hold out hope for her husband’s return? She can only trust her heart…and hope it won’t lead her astray.



The Bookstore on the Beach focuses on three generations of women, each one dealing with life-altering issues and decisions.

Autumn’s husband disappeared eighteen months ago, and she has exhausted every resource to find him. Faced with the need to move forward for the sake of her teenage children (and herself), Autumn returns to Sable Point, the small beachside town where she was raised by her single mother. Once there she reconnects with her first love, Quinn, and is torn between holding onto the past or a promising future.

Mary, Autumn’s mother, made a life for herself in Sable Point years ago and owns a small bookstore. But her past is never far from her mind and she’s still haunted by the events that forever changed her life. She has evaded Autumn’s questions about her father for years and fears that the past is finally catching up with her.

Taylor, Autumn’s teenage daughter, is thankful for the summer escape to Sable Point. Life at home since her father’s disappearance has been stressful and led her to some reckless behavior. A new friend provides a much-needed connection, especially when Taylor is forced to face the consequences of her actions.

It was easy to empathize with each of these women and that helped pull me into the story quickly. I will say that between the three women there is a lot going on.  The drama included a missing person, the death of a parent, abduction, pregnancy, sexual identity, a second chance romance… and at times it did teeter on the side of melodrama. But for the most part, Novak kept it reined in and it never felt too over the top. There were a few surprises and although the ending wrapped up pretty quickly it was also completely satisfying. This cross between women’s fiction and romance was a solid read and I wouldn’t hesitate to read more from Novak.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary advance copy of this book for review. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.


THE BOOKSTORE ON THE BEACH
RELEASES ON APRIL 6, 2021

 

MEET BRENDA NOVAK

Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, has penned over sixty novels. She is a five-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Bookbuyer's Best, and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.5 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

Social Links:

TWITTER: @Brenda_Novak

FB: @BrendaNovakAuthor

Insta: @authorbrendanovak 

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18 comments

  1. Excellent review! I find myself really enjoying books that blend women's fiction and romance. I just love that balance. Also love that this one features a second chance romance, which is my favorite. :)

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    1. Same here, Suzanne. I really like the blend of romance and women's fiction and find myself drawn to it more and more.

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  2. Wow! That's a lot going on in one book. I'm glad it worked out for you as a reader. Great review!

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    1. Yeah, it really was a lot going on... and came close to be too much... but still a really good read.

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  3. I love that she went to work in a bookshop for comfort. She's my type of gal. I love multigenerational stories too.

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  4. It does sound like an engaging read. Glad to hear the drama wasn't too over the top. I think I may have read something by Novak in the past. I'll have to re-visit her soon.

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    1. This was my first by Novak and I would definitely pick up something else by her in the future.

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  5. I know Novak has written a lot of books and is super popular - I'm pretty sure I have some of her books on one of my shelves...but I can't remember ever reading one of her books. Glad you enjoyed this one for the most part.

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    1. This was the first I'd read by Novak and I can see myself reading more at some point.

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  6. I love stories about families, and the setting of a bookstore at the beach sounds perfect!

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    1. Same here, Angela. Stories about families are my catnip. :)

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  7. I have really enjoyed Brenda Novak's work in the past and this book sounds great! I tend to like books where we get to see several generations of a family.

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    1. Same here, Carole. And it's been a while since Id read one that had that multi-generational aspect.

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  8. Whew, this sounds like a book packed full of emotional topics!! I like the idea of the bookstore though, and it sounds like a good read overall.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  9. Brenda Novak is an author I always see online at Overdrive but I've yet to pickup one of her books. The fact that she can weave all of that together in one novel, wow! I definitely need to discover her work too!
    Jen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog

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    1. She has a LOT of books. She's not one that I would turn to often, but sometimes her brand of women's fiction just hits the spot.

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